A former Virgin Airlines employee accused of making hoax calls to pilots and air traffic controllers could endanger the lives of air travellers if released, a court has heard.

Paul Sant, 19, applied for bail in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, accused of making 16 unauthorised radio transmissions affecting aircraft at Melbourne and Avalon Airports between September 5 and November 3.

The man from Rockbank, in Melbourne's west, was arrested last week after police said he made admissions to three friends.

He told the friends he had thrown the radio transmitter into a lake at Caroline Springs.

Police were unable to find the transmitter and were concerned he would continue using it illegally if released, AFP officer Jonathan Croft told the court.

Prosecutor Kathy Piechutowska told the court he could endanger the lives of air travellers.

"Given that he's an avid fan of aviation, there's a risk he may be tempted to continue making these calls," she said.

"It's a present and real danger that one of the aircrafts may not be able to follow the instructions it's given, resulting in loss of life."

The court heard the hoax calls ranged from fake mayday calls to instructing airliners to abort their landings.

Psychiatric assessment ordered by magistrate

Sant has autism and Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic ordered him to undergo a psychiatric assessment to help her determine what his risk of re-offending would be if he was released.

Defence lawyer Perna Chaya told the court Sant was struggling to cope in the adult prison where he was being detained.

"He is learning his lesson," she said.

"He's now appreciating how serious this matter is and that it's not a joke."

Sant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail, charged with four counts of endangering the safety of aircraft and one count of interference likely to endanger safety or cause loss or damage.

But Ms Popovic told the court previous cases indicated there was a real possibility he may not face jail time if found guilty.